Do We As African Americans Have A Culture?

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by 4MYPEOPLE

This is exactly what I mean. I think because we have lost our identity through the diaspora, we as African Americans (today's black American in America) lack a "cultural" identity. I think it will take hundreds of years to pick, and choose, and participate, and borrow, and influence to finally have an "identity" of our own. I think music is the start...jazz, r&b, hip hop...but we have a ways to go to have an established "cultural identity" because we were robbed of it.

Okay I see your point but I think you should define what *you* mean by cultural identity. Do you think Black Americans lack a cultural identity because we do not talk of a common motherland, as many Italian Americans would? Is it becase we don't speak a common language like many Hispanics? Is it because we are not known for a particular food dish from our country of origin like the French? Or have a particular type of script like the Japanese?

Why do you think what Black Americans have as an identity today does not constitute a cultural identity? Yes, we were robbed of our original cultural ties, but during the procsess of our ancestors being in this country we have created new ones. What's wrong with that? Jazz has been recognized as an original music form created in the US, by Black Americans.

Let me ask you this, when growing up, did you play with White dolls or Black ones? Who do you identify with more?